The Witch and The Wolf
by ShadowDrake
Summary: Scarlet Witch and Wolfsbane have an unusal destiny that will forever change the X-Men and Brotherhood - or something to that effect anyway. Part 4 at long last!!!
1. Interlude I

Title: The Witch and The Wolf - Interlude I  
Author: RahneWolfe & ShadowDrake  
Email: RahneWolfe@gmx.net - or - Shadowlander1@gmx.net  
Web Page:   
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters commonly associated with X-Men: Evolution; they belong to others and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Rating: PG-13 to R - mainly for violence and bloodshed and the frisky naughtiness what will be happening later in the series.  
Archive: My own little corner of the web which is listed above and anyone else that wants it - just let me know where its going first please so I can drop and visit it from time to time.  
Notes: This is a Wolfsbane/Scarlet Witch fic - hey they are favourites of mine deal - in which the two are connected in ways that no one has ever imagined. Well other then a bored little mischief-maker like me anyway. :: bg ::  
  
THE WITCH AND THE WOLF - INTERLUDE I  
  
Darkness gripped the land in an iron fist choking off the sun as it encased the sleepy little town of Bayville in its ever-growing cloak, forcing its inhabitants indoors, fleeing the ancient predator now stalking its streets. The howl of the creature echoed throughout the shattered remains of what was once the High School Gym, a large powerful hunter standing in the middle of the ruined building, its head flung back as it gave voice to its joy and happiness. This was its time, its place in the natural order, finally after so many centuries of waiting, of having to slumber lost in the endless void of limbo the hunter was free once more. Free to claim the night once more, to put these lowly creatures that infested the great mother like locust in their proper places at the bottom of the food chain where they belonged. Ending its howl, the last warning to those who knew and understood the ways of mother earth to stay out of the predator's way, the creature raised its head once more its glowing yellow eyes shining with inhuman intelligence.   
  
Turning its massive head the creature held out a heavily clawed hand palm up, silently beckoning the only other living being in the gym that dared to remain in the presence of the ancient predator. The creature remained motionless otherwise, keeping glowing feral eyes on the little one that stood half in a shadow of the ruined building waiting for the hunter to finish its warning howl to those it did not wish to slay this night. Slowly the figure approached, dwarfed by the massive size of the large werewolf, blood dipping from that held out claw, a subtle gift to the little one a silent promise to always protect and serve.   
  
Stepping into the moonlight the figure smirked slightly pleased at the silent offering, knowing that her wolf would always keep the unspoken vow to protect and serve. The wolf was like that, always there faithfully serving as only it could in so many past lives that only the Great Mother could count properly. Reaching out with her own hand the little one placed it in the large blood soaked claw, smiling fondly up at the large creature as she was pulled protectively close to the creature's warm body. The young woman always enjoyed how warm the wolf was, especially after a good kill fresh from the hunt radiating the primal power the Great Mother had gifted all her true children.  
  
Growling lowly the wolf took a moment to enjoy the little one's closeness, a deep rumbling in its chest shaking the small figure almost lost in its protective embrace, before stepping back to regard her companion with glowing golden eyes. "I know," the little one said looking into those inhuman eyes with a smile, "we have little time." The last was said almost sadly, a small hand reaching up to stroke the creature's muzzle fondly. "Come!" the little one said suddenly with resolve, squaring her shoulders under the dark duster she wore a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she turned leading the massive creature out of the gym, a strange other worldly grace to her step as she climbed over the wreckage to get out.   
  
Falling into step with the little one the Wolf allowed her form to shift transforming in one fluid motion to a large russet coloured wolf walking beside her human, keeping careful watch for any strays that would dare to hurt or injure her charge. As the wolf moved closer to her, the young woman absently reached down to scratch a furry head as the two walked through the ruins of the High School with purpose to their step. Glancing up the little one checked the night sky making sure there was still enough time to do what had to be done before sunrise and the two would have to seek shelter from the heat of the day. Not that either of them feared the day, after all there wasn't nothing too supernatural about the wolf or the young woman that walked so unafraid beside it, they were just two of the Great Mother's children out for a night of fun after all. However, there were other 'creatures' in this strange little town, some who fancied themselves protectors of the innocent while others saw themselves as masters of the innocent beings of great power that should be feared and worshipped from afar.   
  
It was best to avoid such creatures, not out of fear, they were 'humans' for the most part granted with extraordinary powers but humans nonetheless. They were of no real challenge to the wolf or her little charge, not really in the grand scheme of things, they were merely tolerances nothing more. Still it would best to avoid the annoying tolerances for the time being, hunt at night, killing the abominations that infested mother earth almost like the plague that called itself humanity. There would be time later, once the abominations had been cleansed from the Great Mother to deal with the humans to put them in their places with the heavy hand they do desperately needed.   
  
The wolf shook its head clearing it of thoughts of the humans, they were not worth the wereling's time other then as prey to be hunted although the creature knew it would not do so for food. Humans were disgusting creatures at best, almost as annoying as the abominations she and her own human hunted for the Great Mother. The inferior humans tended to make the worse prey anyway, they had lost their way living in fear of the night, clustering together in large insufficient packs that lacked the natural order of the wild ones that had stalked the night for countless centuries.  
  
The wolf and the little one stilled almost as one stopping suddenly in the empty street. Each tensing in their own way ready to defend the other as several of the annoying humans that fancied themselves 'protectors of the innocent' stepped into view. The werewolf shifted moving like quicksilver to her large transitional form once again dwarfing her little human, standing protective over her while growling lowly at the interlopers. With glowing yellow eyes the creature raised its arms, heavy talon like claws flickering in the glow of the street lamps, as the little one's eyes narrowed, her own hands moving gathering energy only she could command, the human's eyes hard and dark with suppressed power.  
  
With blinding speed the wolf slammed her hands downward as the little one released her own energies, the massive shock wave crashing into the annoying humans sending them flying back into the darkness. Claws clutched at its side the wolf throw back its head and howled its joy once more, eagerly embracing the call to hunt and roam the odd little town claiming it for herself. Only to be brought out of its rapture by a hand on its massive neck playfully rustling its fur and massaging the neck muscles found there. Looking down at the little one, the wolf's feet spread apart hands clutched into fists at its side, the predator focused its glowing yellow eyes on the human almost boring into her with their intensity.  
  
*********************  
  
Jean Grey jerked awake with a strangled scream, heart pounding as she turned wide panicked eyes toward the heavily restrained and feverish werewolf literally chained to a medical bed in the school's infirmary. There lay Rahne Sinclair who even sedated fought a strange one-sided battle against unseen forces. 'What the hell is going on?' Jean questioned silently wrapping her arms around herself as she watched the feverish werewolf from a safe distance ready to psychokinetically keep the wolf on the bed if the restraints didn't hold.   
  
On the bed, Rahne Sinclair's eyes suddenly opened the mutant moving from sedated slumber to full consciousness in half a heartbeat with little warning, "Wha' the devil?" she growled more to herself as she tried to sit up but found herself held tight by thick leather bands around her wrists and feet. Pushing down her panic, the shorthaired redhead fought to keep her wolf half under control, her wild half trashing about inside of her at the feeling of being trapped. Eyes widening a bit as her enhanced hearing picked up another heartbeat, she raised her head to look at the other girl standing at the foot of the bed. "Jean?" she questioned trying to figure out why she was tied to the bed and why the senior X-Man felt the need to be standing there at the foot of the bed staring at her like a deer caught in headlights. As an explicable image of Jean in a leather dominatrix outfit complete with a whip flashed through her mind causing her to close her eyes and forcibly shake her head before lying back, she wisely chose to stare at the ceiling for awhile certain that was one image that was not going to go away anytime soon.  
  
Still staring at the ceiling Rahne wet her lips with the tip of her tongue, "Er... Jean... lass?" she began wondering just how she got tied to a bed in the infirmary and why she was so bloody hot. 'They kenna have the heat up that bloody much... it's the middle of summer,' she thought trying to remain claim while she sorted out this rather strange situation she found herself in, the image of Jean in the leather dominatrix outfit not helping her one little bit. "Ken I ask ya a question?" she ventured tentatively her green eyes boring holes in the ceiling tiles that strange little image on some kind of continuous loop in her brain for some really bizarre and unknown reason.  
  
"Yes," Jean said cautiously not sure what Rahne was about to ask, it had always been a bit hard for the telepath to read the shape shifter's mind, the younger girl's thought processes tended to be an odd mix of human and wolf at the best of times. If Rahne wasn't in the mood to co-operate with a telepathic scan, no matter how mild, a telepath was guaranteed be in for a long day of sorting out human and wolf thought patterns.   
  
"Why... exactly... am I tied ta the bed?" the wolf asked choosing her words carefully one eyebrow arched in question as she kept her gaze focused on the infirmary's rather drab ceiling tiles.   
  
"You don't remember?"   
  
"Nay," Rahne replied wetting her lips again, her brow furrowing in thought, "although I do have a rather strange image of ya in leather and Scott wearing a dog collar... but I really don want ta think about that anymore... so if ya ken just tell me why I'm tied ta the bed I'd much appreciate it."  
  
Jean opened and closed her mouth a few times suddenly getting the bizarre mental image that had been running through Rahne's mind since regaining consciousness. "You've... been sick," Jean said slowly after a long pause, "feverish actually... and obviously hallucinating if you've been getting images like that," she added shaking her head a bit.   
  
"Oh... I've been sick," Rahne said as if trying to convince herself of that fact, blinking a few times as the thought settled in, "good... because... ah... an' don get this wrong... but I'm gonna have nightmares about ya in leather now."  
  
"You and me both," Jean said more to herself shuddering a bit at the mental image.  
  
"You and Rahne both what?" Scott Summers asked with a smile, stepping into the room, pleased to hear Rahne talking and not growling or thrashing about on the bed in the grips of a burning fever.   
  
From the bed Rahne closed both eyes and grimaced as a collared Cyclops joined the little image of Jean in her leather dominatrix outfit with a big goofy grin on his face. "Now I know I'm having nightmares," she grumbled to herself wondering how long she could go without sleep before going insane.  
  
Jean opened her mouth once then slammed it shut, closing her eyes and shook her head, one hand raised to keep Scott from saying anything else. 'Maybe Rahne's fever is contagious?' she thought trying to push both images out of her mind before they got too burned into memory.  
  
********************  
  
Wanda Maximoff stood by her bedroom window staring into the night wondering what her rather strange dreams meant. Over the last few weeks she had been dreaming of the same thing, a large powerful werewolf at her side as the two roamed the city late at night on the prowl. What exactly she and the rather large killing machine she instinctively knew belonged to her were looking for continued to elude her. However she was certain that if she found the werewolf she would find whatever it was that she was suppose to be looking for. Although why she would want to be in the company of a werewolf in the first place continued to elude her as well, hanging out with large furry predators with very short tempers was not her idea of a good time.  
  
End Interlude 1. 


	2. Interlude II

Title: The Witch and The Wolf - Interlude II  
Author: RahneWolfe & ShadowDrake  
Email: RahneWolfe@gmx.net - or - Shadowlander1@gmx.net  
Web Page:   
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters commonly associated with X-Men: Evolution; they belong to others and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Archive: My own little corner of the web which is listed above and anyone else that wants it - just let me know where its going first please so I can drop and visit it from time to time.  
Notes: This is a Wolfsbane/Scarlet Witch fic - hey they are favourites of mine deal - in which the two are connected in ways that no one has ever imagined. Well other then a bored little mischief-maker like me anyway. :: bg ::  
  
THE WITCH AND THE WOLF - INTERLUDE II  
  
The manor house was old, by at least a century and a half, made of heavy timber and stone built to last both foul weather and time. Wanda Maximoff stood outside the old mansion frowning in uncertainty unsure of why she was even there so far from town on a back road that few even remembered. Looking around she noted the well-kept lawn extending to the small forest surrounding the little property, something telling her that the woods contained a hidden groove and a small river perfect for swimming in on a hot summer's day. 'A perfect place for me and my wolf to dwell,' the thought crossed her mind causing her to stiffen a bit, she had yet to find this so-called wolf that belonged to her, and yet she was already picking out a home with it in mind.   
  
Shaking her head she turned wanting to leave this weird place, only to come up short as she found herself staring into the strangely familiar golden eyes of her wolf. The large creature standing on its hind legs regarding her silently less then two feet away from her. 'How did it get this close to me without my knowledge?' she silently wondered as the creature raised one hand and almost tenderly brushed the side of her cheek. Wanda remained motionless as the werewolf ran a clawed hand through her hair brushing back the short dark locks, its eyes never leaving hers.   
  
Seemingly satisfied that this was indeed her human the Wolf held out her other hand toward the waiting mansion the front door slowly opening as if welcoming her home. Looking at the mansion door then back at the quietly watching wolf, Wanda took a steadying breath casting one last glance at the creature taking solace at its presence. As long as she had the wolf with her everything would be all right her wolf would always protect her in this life as it did in all the past ones the two had shared.   
  
Stepping into the great hall, Wanda nodded absently in approval noting the layout with a critical eye. Someone had taken great care in restoring the old house, bringing it back up to its once proud state of being. Heavy antique furniture lined the hall flanking the various doors that branched off it to all the first floor rooms. The main hall itself was nearly six-foot wide and ran down the middle of the house ending at a pair of double glass doors that led out to the back porch and swimming pool that wasn't apart of the original landscape. About two-thirds the way down the hall was the horseshoe shaped grand staircase, fatefully restored and maintained to ensure it would remain intact for another hundred years or so.   
  
The young woman was brought out of her inspection of the great hall by a door opening to her left; eyeing the door cautiously she cast a quick look at the wolf as if to ask if it was safe. In reply the Wolf held out its hand silently ushering her into the room, golden yellow eyes glowing faintly in the lowlight of the hall. Casting one last look at her wolf, Wanda stepped toward the open door a soft glow coming from within as if beckoning her inside. Entering she found herself in a library of some kind, large floor to ceiling bookcases dominating the room a stone fireplace with a cheery fire burning within it on one wall. But it was the person she found in the room sitting in a large winged back leather chair by the fire that drew Wanda's attention. A woman in her twenties, she reasoned, was sitting there with long curly brownish red hair wearing a red midriff that showed off a well-defined abdomen and clad in a long red skirt that was slit up one side exposing a shapely leg. The woman herself had an open book resting in her lap but was looking at her with dancing green eyes filled with mischief and ill-concealed humour, she seemed rather amused to see the young Wanda standing there in front of her.  
  
"I've been waiting for you," the woman said in a hauntingly familiar voice leaning back in her chair, "you should have been here ages ago… the front lawn isn't that exciting to look at." She went on with an amused grin, "but you're not here to look at the lawn… you want to know about our wolf there." She continued with a nod to the silent werewolf watching the exchange by the door. Leaning further back in her chair and crossing her legs, the woman's skirt naturally parting and exposing her leg a bit in the process, the woman watched the young girl thoughtfully.   
  
Looking back at the werewolf as the large creature moved away from the door shifting as it did so to a large russet coloured wolf and went to the seated woman curling up at her feet and lying down. Wanda found herself frowning again not liking 'her' wolf lying at anyone's feet but hers. 'Huh? Where did that come from?' she questioned herself, eyes widening as she shook her head to chase away the strange thought. "Who ARE you… and what are you doing with my wolf?" she questioned with clutched teeth, eyes burning, her hands balled into fists at her side, as she unconsciously triggered her unpredictable mutant hex power. As the air around her began to crackle Wanda focused her eyes on the woman not sure what she was trying to do only knowing she wanted her wolf back and was more then willing to go through the stranger to do it.   
  
Sighing the woman waved a hand immediately dissipating Wanda's hex sphere, "was that really necessary?" she asked shifting in her chair, putting her book aside as she stood. "I'm not your enemy… I never have been," she said coming to a stop in front of Wanda looking down at the smaller female. "And… Rahne belongs to herself… please remember that in the future it will make your relationship with her so much easier." She added with a self-mocking smirk to the confused Wanda Maximoff as the room started to spin and the young girl descended into darkness.   
  
********************  
  
Wanda hit the floor of her bedroom with a resounding thud as she fell out of bed. Immediately rolling to her feet she searched the shadows somewhat panicked trying to make sense of the rather strange dream she just had. This was the first time she had been in the library of that house where the woman had actually spoken to her, usually the woman just smiled at her with those laughing green eyes silently watching her as did her wolf. 'Her' wolf she thought recalling the name the woman spoken 'Rahne,' she thought rolling the name around in her head deciding she liked it as she grinned into the darkness. Now all she had to do was find her wolf… and that house, after dreaming about the damn thing over the last few weeks she figured she might as well see what the real thing looked like for herself.   
  
Climbing back into bed, she stared unseeingly at the ceiling her mind still replaying the dream, her eyes widening in disbelief as a realization suddenly occurred to her. Finally recognizing those laughing green eyes as her own. "NO way!" she breathed sitting up in bed her jaw dropping before she started laughing, "I'm not your enemy indeed." She wondered aloud falling back onto the bed a goofy grin on her face, not so annoyed about the wolf sitting at the older woman's feet now. Not if that was really her future self, then it was okay the wolf was still with her and together they would hunt the abominations and protect the great mother.   
  
********************  
  
Rahne Sinclair tried not to growl in annoyance as the restraints were finally being removed from her, eager to be free and out of the infirmary once Hank McCoy had finished his last examination. While no one had been able to explain her high fever, or the strange dreams she had been having while in its grips. The blue-furred Beast had come to the tentative conclusion that her body had a rather volatile reaction to an unknown foreign agent and the dreams were nothing more then a by-product of the fever it caused. While Rahne didn't understand half of what the man said other then, *I see no other reason to keep you here any further now that you are coherent once more* she was more then willing to be out of the infirmary. Even if it meant she had to come back every few days to let the man poke and probe at her to make sure her body was still recovering well from whatever it was that made her sick in the first place.  
  
The young metamorph frowned a bit at that last part, it wasn't often she got sick, even then it was rarely more then a cold. But this… this was different somehow, never in all her fifteen years of life had she been so sick she could barely hold up her own head. And yet according to Jean, once the telepath had been able to move pass that rather disturbing mental image, she had been violently ill for days. From what Jean and Scott told her, she had been found outside of her bedroom unconscious burning with fever by one of their teachers a few days ago. Watching the large blue Beast out of the corner of her eye as he fiddled with one of the wrist restraints, Rahne briefly closed her eyes recalling the piercing laughing green eyes that had haunted her fevered dreams over those lost days where she drifted in a sea of delirium. When she wasn't getting nightmare images of Jean Grey in a leather dominatrix outfit with a collared silly-grinning Scott Summers at her feet, that is. While she didn't know who those eyes belonged to, she knew she had to find that person, it was very important she found the owner of those eyes.   
  
End Interlude II. 


	3. Mall Encounters

Title: The Witch and The Wolf - Mall Encounters  
Author: RahneWolfe & ShadowDrake  
Email: RahneWolfe@gmx.net - or - Shadowlander1@gmx.net  
Web Page:   
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters commonly associated with X-Men: Evolution, they belong to others and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Archive: The web site above and any where else that is crazy enough to want to archive it, just let me know where it is going first so I can drop by from time to time and visit with it, okay?  
Notes: This is dedicated to the Evil Overload who asked for a New Mutant/Dungeon and Dragons crossover for the sole purpose of rat bastard gnome abuse. {Inside joke folks... only understood by die-hard D&D fans and gnome haters.}  
  
THE WITCH AND THE WOLF - MALL ENCOUNTERS  
  
"Why exactly do I have ta go shopping?" Rahne questioned from the backseat of Scott's car as it pulled into the Bayville Mall parking lot, the young mutant arching an eyebrow into the rear view mirror waiting for an answer with arms crossed a look of annoyance on her face. The joy of her liberation from the school's infirmary had been short lived as she stepped onto the first floor and was immediately ambushed by the institute's resident shopping-addicts who felt that she was way over due for a trip to the mall. Rahne hated shopping, she hated the rude loud people rushing about like mindless ants, she hated the myriad of smells and sounds, and she bloody well hated having to try on the tons of clothing that Jean Grey and Kitty Pryde were just convinced would look fantastic on her. 'So I hate crowds,' she grumbled to herself, 'is tha a bloody crime? I don't feel the need ta aimlessly roam around a large enclosed area with hundreds of other teens wit nothing better ta do then amass in the middle of the bleeding Mall on a Saturday unlike 'some' people.' She thought crossly giving the back of Jean Grey's head a hard look.   
  
"You're going because you like... 'need' new clothes," Kitty Pryde said in a bright cheerful voice from beside Rahne, looking like she was about to go bouncing off the walls at any moment. "You always wear the same thing... its boring... besides we compared notes and discovered like you have tons of money for clothing allowances that you 'never' use. So we decided you needed to spend some of that money and today was the day to do it."  
  
"Kitty... lass... I'm a shape shifter luv... I'll only tear them up if I have to 'shift," Rahne said slowly closing her eyes and hanging her head, firmly pushing aside the urge to shape shift and make a break for home while she still had her sanity. Mainly because she wouldn't put it pass Jean to telepathically keep her in human form thus preventing her from making the escape. "An' I do nah wear the same thing... an' before ya suggest it I'm nah going back ta wearing tha spandex bodysuit so I ken buy more clothes... it's the middle of summer, I'm na putting meself through tha torture." She added dryly, hating the specially designed suit that allowed her the use of her mutant talent without getting arrested for indecent exposure when she returned to her human form. While it did offer her piece of mind knowing that she would always be wearing something when she returned to her human form, she found the infernal thing to be hot and bothersome.   
  
Even in human form Rahne's internal body temperature tended to be higher then normal, since she retained the protective properties of a wolf's insulated layer of fur without actually being covered in fur. It was one of those strange quarks in her powers that still defied explanation. Rahne just knew she rarely got cold unless she had first been dunked into freezing water then placed in front of an air conditioner set on high; but she highly doubted she would ever feel the need to do something that silly anytime soon. The simple fact was, she never liked wearing too many levels of clothing, preferring loose non-restrictive clothing that allowed freedom of movement and didn't try to give her heatstroke.  
  
A snicker on Rahne's other side brought her attention to Rogue who had been assigned 'guard the wolf' detail as the redhead was being forced marched to Scott's car for the trip to the Mall. 'How the devil did they get ya ta betray me?' she thought, wondering how the one person - well two if you counted Storm - at the school who hated shopping as much as she did got talked into helping in her wolf-napping.  
  
(You were not 'wolf-napped')   
Jean's voice whispered softly in the back of Rahne's mind the telepath having turned around in the passenger seat to give the shorthaired redhead a slight smirk. (And you really could use some new clothes.) Jean openly laughed as Rahne growled lowly at her in response, knowing that the werewolf really wouldn't try to hurt any of them... well not with Rogue nearby. For some odd reason Rahne and the Goth X-Man called Rogue were friends, both tended to stick to themselves most days but once in awhile they would be found together off in a little corner of the institute reading or playing cards. Jean wasn't sure what the two had in common; well other then not being all that sociable outside their rather small circle of friends, hell at times they weren't even sociable to their friends.   
  
As the little band of mutants climbed out of Scott's car, Rogue leaned over to Rahne and whispered into the wolf's ear, "Don't worry Rahney... we'll play alone for a bit then make a break for the wall," the southern mutant advised in a conspiring tone with a sly wink. Like Rahne she hated the mall and for some of the same reasons, it was just painful watching people casually touching one another knowing that such activity was too dangerous for her to even attempt.  
  
Rahne shared a quick smile with Rogue as the two followed after Scott, Jean and Kitty, the latter two already planning what stores they were going to hit first in 'Operation: Clothe the Werewolf' as they had called it back at the school. 'Knew Rogue wouldna betray me,' she thought careful not to broadcast her thoughts too loud, it wouldn't do for Jean to get wind of their little escape plan.  
  
_________________________  
  
In the food court of the mall, Wanda Maximoff speared a chilli and cheese covered French Fry with a plastic fork while giving her brother a cross look, still unsure why she allowed herself to be talked into coming to the mall. She was positive she could be doing a hundred other more fascinating things to kill time with, like watching paint dry. Not that she hated the mall, she just rarely felt the need to hang out in one for endless hours, she tended to go in do her shopping and get out. Less chance of her unpredictable mutant hex talent acting up and setting off the fire suppression system in the entire place or triggering the anti-shoplifting sensors in all the stores she happened to walk by... that was always annoying and embarrassing. But nevertheless she found herself sitting in the food court eating chilli-cheese fries with her brother who had somehow gotten it into his head that they needed to bond.  
  
At least he was 'trying' to making up for lost time with her, unlike a certain good for nothing father of theirs that only saw her as another weapon in his little plans for world domination. She wasn't blind she saw the strange hold father had on Pietro even if her brother did claim he was done doing Magneto's dirty work, Wanda knew that hold was still there. Even if the great Master of Magnetism was lying low somewhere, hopefully in a ditch, licking his wounds after that pasting the X-Men gave him a couple of weeks ago, she knew he would be back. Magneto was to controlling to just leave her and Pietro alone, not when he still had uses for them and the motley group of mutants called the Brotherhood. No father would be back... just walking right in and dictating orders and commands like they were his personal little army of slaves. 'But I'm not going to play soldier for him,' she thought reaching for her soda, 'just have to find my wolf... then get the hell out of here.' She smiled a bit at that last thought, tuning out whatever it was that Pietro was saying and turning her attention to the subject of her absent wolf.   
  
While she now knew the name of her companion, she still had no clue where she was suppose to find the creature. It wasn't like werewolves just walked around in plain view... well she guessed they did, they wouldn't be werewolves if they didn't have a human form. But Wanda had yet to see her wolf in any form remotely human in appearance in her dreams. Mostly the large quiet creature had been either a wolf or in a humanoid form standing on its hind legs. 'Maybe my wolf doesn't have a human form?' she thought to herself frowning a bit as she slowly chewed only to be brought out of her silent musings by a new set of voices.  
  
________________________  
  
"Ah come on Rahne!" Kitty groaned as she followed Rahne and Rogue into the food court, the latter two having decided that food was more important then shopping "you can't be serious."  
  
"What?" Rahne questioned giving her a bright almost innocent grin, that really didn't work with a the tips of her fangs - that she always had - showing, "I'm hungry... ya and Jean pounced on me before I could pay a visit ta the kitchen... and infirmary food is terrible."  
  
Rolling her eyes at the werewolf convinced Rahne's sudden hunger was just a stalling tactic, "Like... how can it be terrible when it's the same food the rest of us eat?" She countered rather pleased with her logic, 'ha! Counter that one Wolfy,' she thought with a smirk.  
  
Arching both eyebrows in return, "Ya mean the whole lot of ya have been dining on broth the last few days?" she said, "cor... lass ya must be starved!" She went on with a wide grin her fangs peeking out once more, knowing that she herself must have been on a liquid diet while in the grips of her mysterious fever. She seemed to have a dim recollection of Storm sitting by her bed at one time feeding her something or other.   
  
"Haha... cute... real cute," Kitty said with another roll of her eyes, "but you're still like... 'going' to get new clothes and that's final."  
  
"Whatever ya say Kitty lass," Rahne chuckled enjoying her minor victory as she turned toward the pizzeria rubbing her hands together in anticipation, unaware of the green eyes that were following her every move from one of the small tables scattered about the food court. 'Hmmm something with meat in it,' she thought as she approached the counter, 'well... what passes for meat around here anyway.' She amended making a face at some of the slices of pizza on display. "Ohh... steak," she cooed happily making sure Kitty overheard her choice, "a Philly steak and cheese," she decided firmly, careful to keep her gaze on the overhead menu and not on her companions.  
  
"AH... Rahney that's like 'SO' gross," Kitty whined from beside her in line, being a firm vegetarian, "can't you go for a nice salad or a slice of cheese or something?"  
  
"Lass... do I look like a bloody rabbit ta ya?" Rahne replied turning toward her friend with an arched eyebrow, "I'm na like ya Kitty... I ken nah eat vegetables all the time... I got ta have meat in me diet. But if it's going to bother ya tha much, why don ya, Scott and Jean go on ahead, I'll catch up after I eat with Rogue." She offered helpfully.  
  
"Yeah... right, like you and Rogue would really come looking for us," Kitty replied dryly not trusting that look in Rahne's eyes one little bit. "Just have your... 'murdered' cow... so we can get down to business." She said firmly determined not to let the wolf get to her. Kitty knew that Rahney wasn't really trying to be cruel, that just wasn't in the wolf's nature. Rahne didn't mess with people like that, no the Highland werewolf chose more subtle ways of playing mind games with people. The simple fact was Rahne Sinclair really did need meat in her diet since half of her genetic makeup was literally part wolf... and wolves were very much carnivores.   
  
Chuckling in reply, Rahne shook her head at Kitty's antics, grinning a bit lopsidedly as she turned her attention to the guy at the register to place her order. Only to stiffen suddenly as her inborn sixth sense of a predator started to ring warning bells in the back of her mind, she was being watched, she could feel it. Eyes narrowing, the guy at the register forgotten for the moment, she took a slow look around trying to find the source of whatever was watching her.  
  
(Rahne?) Jean's voice sounded in the back of her mind, (you okay?) The telepath doing her own search having picked up the sudden shift in the other redhead's thoughts from relaxed 'human' to what Jean liked to call 'prowl-mode'. Well what passed for human in Rahne anyway, the proud fiery Highlander never actually had what one would call completely human thoughts. There was always a mix of wolf in Sinclair's thought processes no matter what form she happened to be in at the time, a bit of the primal hunter that made up half her DNA was always there lurking just under the surface. That was one of the hardest things Jean had to get used to, learning just how to deal with someone that most definitely didn't look at the world like everyone else. There was always that unknown variable when dealing with the wolf, one never knew just how she was going to react to things most people wouldn't think twice about. Kurt Wagner had learned that fact the hard way one day in the Danger Room when he teleported in behind the wolf and tried to tickle her ribs. The poor blue furred elf found himself pinned to the floor with a very angry werewolf growling in his face, thankfully Rahne had regained control of herself before she caused injury to him. After that Kurt made it a point not to startle Rahne, especially if she was in one of her wolf forms.   
  
'Nah sure,' the Wolf thought carefully knowing it was a bit hard for Jean to read her thoughts, especially if she reacting instinctively to something like she was doing now. While the telepath didn't have too much trouble picking up her surface thoughts or ones she was projecting, deeper more personal thoughts tended to elude Jean's probes unless Rahne was cooperating and making a conscious effort to keep her thoughts as human as possible. 'I'm being watched,' she thought trying to find the right words to express what her instincts were screaming at her. She knew just saying 'I'm being watched' really didn't explain anything, to Jean the words probably sounded rather silly, but to Rahne they spoke volumes. To her there wasn't a need to explain the feeling, it simply was... she was being watched and she knew it and she didn't like it. As Rahne's eyes settled on a nearby table, she gasped as she found herself staring into strangely familiar eyes, unconsciously taking a step forward she felt her wild half begin to stir within her wanting out, wanting to claim... something. She wasn't sure what she was trying to claim only that she had to claim it, subconsciously triggering her mutant talent.   
  
"NO!" Jean cried her eyes widening in shock as she felt the aggressive shift in Rahne's thoughts, lunging forward she telepathically send out a mild jolt hoping to knock Rahne out before the younger redhead could completely begin her shape change. 'Please... let this work,' she thought silently praying she could successfully put out the wolf before anyone saw something they really shouldn't.   
  
_______________________  
  
Wanda stood suddenly as she watched the shorthaired redhead the X-Men had called Rahne take a step toward her then rock back and collapse into Jean and Kitty's waiting arms. She barely registered that Pietro had stood as well, or that Scott and Rogue had spotted her and had taking up protective stances around their fallen friend. She jerked her head toward her twin suddenly as his hand came down on her shoulder keeping her in place, Pietro shaking his head firmly as she tried to move forward to get to her wolf. She didn't know how she knew, but everything in her was screaming that it was her wolf lying there surrounded by the X-Men.   
  
_______________________  
  
(We need to get out of here,) Jean telepathically projected to her teammates, knowing that they had to leave before someone got the bright idea to call an ambulance or something for the passed out Rahne. It was best they get her back to the mansion where it was safe to run tests on her, 'could this be linked to her mysterious illness,' she wondered to herself nodding to Rogue who had reached down to help lift Rahne up the two already moving toward the exit with Scott and Kitty bring up the rear.   
  
Leaving behind a fuming Wanda Maximoff who stood with her fists clenched at her sides unconsciously triggering her own mutant talent and setting off the fire suppression system causing the food court to become the centre of a very unscheduled down pour. 'This isn't over X-Men... and gods help you if you've hurt my wolf,' she thought murderously as Pietro began to pull her away from the table and to dryer surroundings.   
  
End part three: Mall Encounters. 


	4. Mindscape

The Witch and The Wolf: Mindscape (4/?)  
Author: RahneWolfe and ShadowDrake  
  
  
Xavier Institute -  
  
"She was about to shape shift," Jean explained running one hand through her shoulder length hair. "She was fine up 'til that point, complaining about going shopping. Other than that she seemed all right."  
  
"Did you sense anything out of the ordinary?" Charles Xavier asked, frowning a bit as his eyes darted to the once again unconscious and restrained shape shifter that lay on a nearby bed.   
  
A brief pause, where Jean seemed to turn her attention inward, "NO... there was nothing out of the ordinary, but it was a crowded area... I don't let my shields down much in public," she explained with a lopsided smile, knowing the Professor understood her comment all to well. Being able to read people's minds and being in large crowds was never a good thing. Too many minds bombarding her mental shields trying to drive her crazy with their constant chatter. Little did people realize that being a telepath had nothing to do with reading a person's mind... it was not reading minds that was the trick, to get a little peace and quiet for yourself without losing your mind in a sea of meaningless noise from everyone around you.  
  
With an absent nod to Jean, Xavier turned his attention back to one of his youngest students, 'What the devil is going on?' he questioned himself, his chin rested on his clasped hands with his elbows propped up on the armrests of his wheelchair. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed as Rahne suddenly jerked awake, moving from telepathic induced sleep to full wakefulness in blinding speed; something she should not have been able to do.   
  
Growling lowly, Rahne arched against the restraints, shape shifting as she did so. Her instincts screamed at her that she must get away from this place, find her mate and leave. Eyes nearly glowing with rage she fought the bands holding her down, her human self still lost in its enforced slumber. 'NO,' the wolf raged struggling with the bonds holding her, she didn't know how she got here; the scents were confusing, familiar and yet not.   
  
{SLEEP} The command sounded in her mind, sending the wolf back into unconsciousness just as she had gotten one arm free and taken a swing at the being nearest her.   
  
As Rahne collapsed back on the bed, still in her transitional form, Scott Summers raised his hand to his chest to keep his heart from pounding its way out. Closing his eyes momentarily, he took a slow calming breath, glad that he didn't feel any blood on his now sliced opened shirt. Thankfully her swing only made limited contact with the fabric and it had been baggy enough not to be anywhere near his skin. He wasn't a fool; he had a very good idea how destructive Rahne Sinclair's claws could be if they made full contact with something soft, like any of his body parts. It also helped that Rogue now had a death grip on the back of his shirt and had pulled him out of the way in time. "Thanks," he said in a weak voice turning to the Goth X-Men with a wry grin, "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have liked getting hit with those claws."  
  
Smirking a bit as she let go of the back of his shirt, Rogue turned her attention to her friend once more. "Okay... this is getting annoying," she said, "what the hell is going on here? First, Rahney collapses, burns with fever for days, and now she's trying to wolf-out in public and taking swings at Cyclops!"   
  
"That is a valid question," Xavier replied, frowning thoughtfully at his unconscious student. 'Strange... it was like she wasn't completely awake,' he thought, 'I could only sense her wolf-half but not her human-half. How can her conscious be so divided? It never has been before.' He thought knowing that while Rahne did tend to look at the world as a wolf, and much of her thought processes were animal-like in nature, she did not have a duel conscious. Her mind was whole for the most part, her human and wolf halves sharing equal control as it were, she did not have a separate 'human' and 'wolf' persona warring for dominance. 'Or at least it wasn't until now.' The thought troubled him, as his eyes narrowed even more, 'no it can't be in order for that to happen she would have undergone a severe emotional or mental trauma I would have notice such a thing.' He dismissed the thought firmly.   
  
Letting out a tired sigh he ran a hand across his jaw, coming to a decision; he would enter his student's mind and do a deep telepathic scan. Something he had been reluctant to do since Rahne first fell into her mysterious fever. It went against his morals to enter his students... his children's minds without their knowledge or permission; however, due to Rahne's clear signs of mental distress he saw no other option. 'I have to know what is going on,' he told himself moving his wheelchair closer to Rahne's bed, 'forgive me child... I have no other choice.'  
  
"Professor?" Scott questioned unsure if it was wise to let his teacher get near Rahne. Even if she were unconscious she was still in her transitional form, and she had already displayed a rather alarming habit of snapping awake without warning and taking blind swings at people.   
  
{I'm fine Scott} The Professor's voice sounded in all of his students' minds, {I am about to scan Rahne's mind... under no circumstances am I to be interrupted. Jean you will act as my anchor line... I need you to be ready to keep Rahne on the bed if she should awaken again... and to act as my outside focus if there is trouble.}   
  
Jean, Scott and Rogue looked at each other in disbelief, the Professor never talked about scanning people, he always went out of his way not to pear into his students' minds or give them any reason to think he had done such a thing. And yet here he was telling them he was about to go against his own rules, scan one of his students without permission. It was almost heartbreaking hearing the distaste in his telepathic voice as he explained what he was about to do; it was like he was about to do something he found morally offensive and degrading.  
  
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Rahne's Mindscape -  
  
The russet coloured wolf prowled the meadow stalking the much-hated yellow flutters that dared to trespass into 'her' territory. Crouching low to the ground, her tail absently swaying back and forth as she watched a particularly annoying flutter land on a flower, the predator's eyes narrowed, a cool wet tongue slipping out of its mouth to lick its chops, as the wolf slowly inched forward toward the hated interloper.   
  
This was how Charles Xavier found his student as his astral form materialized in Rahne Sinclair's mind, a large playful wolf out stalking butterflies. Arching an eyebrow as he watched her, he noted that she did the same thing in the 'real world' - usually on lazy sunny days -much to the chagrin of the Institute's other students. He never realized that she actually dreamed about chasing butterflies, that some primal part of her insisted that they needed to be chased in the first place. A soft laugh brought him out of his silent musings, turning he saw a figure sitting in the shade of a large tree watching the wolf at play.   
  
The figure under the tree smiled at the Professor, seemingly unconcerned that there was a rather large predator stalking butterflies right in front of her. Charles didn't think the person, a young woman he noted, as he got closer to her, was a part of Rahne's psyche. She seemed to be a separate being, much like himself who was 'visiting' Rahne Sinclair's dreamscape. 'Is she the cause of Rahne's erratic behaviour?' he wondered.   
  
"You shouldn't disturb Rahney while she is defending her territory from the butterfly hordes," the young woman said with a bright smile. "She gets rather caught up in her work and could mistake you for a giant 'flutter beast' that must be expelled," the woman said with a laugh, "Please sit Professor... I've been waiting for you," she said offering him a seat on her blanket. "You are late you know? I was certain you would have been here much sooner."  
  
Sitting down the Professor regarded the woman thoughtfully; while he did not sense anything evil or malicious about the woman, he still wondered what she was doing here. She appeared to be a small woman even seated, clad in a flowing white robe of some type that left one shoulder and arm bare, golden intricately designed bracers at each wrist, wavy dark hair cascading down and around her face and shoulders, with calm golden eyes regarding him in return. "You are worried about my little one there," the woman said with a calm smile, indicating the frolicking wolf with a nod of her head. "Which is good... you are a good man Charles Francis Xavier." She caused the Professor to jump a bit as she addressed him by his full name.   
  
Xavier stared at the woman for a long moment as she smiled secretively at him, as if amused by his confusion. Only to be brought out of his stupor by the wolf who apparently had grown tired of stalking butterflies and wanted to see what all the fuss was about under the tree. Charles absently scratched the russet coloured wolf behind the ears as she settled down at his side, her head resting on one of his legs as she closed her eyes. "She sees you as an elder of the pack, you know?" the woman said conversationally. "She knows that you and your other children are not a 'normal' pack... all of you are too human at times. So she's not always sure how all of you are going to react to her; but she's figured out that you are an elder. To be respected of your great age and wisdom, you can teach a lot to the younger cubs." She commented dryly, her eyes twinkling as she talked of Xavier's 'great age'.  
  
Charles nodded slightly, choosing to ignore the 'great age' comment, 'maybe that is how the children see me,' he reasoned absently continuing his petting of the wolf, only to stop as the wolf suddenly raised her head and looked off to one side, her tail wagging happily before pushing herself up and going to greet the newcomer with a playful yelp. Turning his own head, Xavier felt his heart skip a beat as he found himself looking at a human Rahne approaching the little gathering. 'What? How?' he thought his mind racing, knowing that what he was seeing shouldn't be there, 'her mind cannot be fragmented in such a fashion.'   
  
The human Rahne stopped not far away from the little group under the tree, making no more to join them, instead waiting for the wolf to leave the group and join her. Smiling softly at the Professor the human and wolf Rahnes slowly turned and wandered off together, as if what was happening under the tree was none of their concern.   
  
"You are concerned for her," the woman's voice brought Xavier's attention back to her, "you are correct... her mind should not be fragmented in such a fashion... and yet something is deliberately trying to separate her personas."  
  
"But you are not the cause," Xavier said thoughtfully, sensing a great power in the woman that both troubled and comforted him. He didn't think she was the cause of Rahne's current condition; like him she was merely trying to help the young shape shifter. "Who are you?" he asked, sensing that the honest, straightforward approach when dealing with this being would be the most productive.   
  
The woman cocked her head to the side to look at him for a long moment, a serene smile tucking at the corner of her lips. "I am called many names, Charles Xavier, by many people... lets just say I am Rahne's mother for the time being and leave it at that," she said with that calm serene smile of hers that made people just want to listen to her and do what she instructed.   
  
"Rahne's mother died giving birth to her," Xavier noted with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"Her human birth mother yes... a shame about that really, Abigail could not shake the poison in her system, although Moira tried so hard to counter it," the woman went on, a sad light in her eyes. "I regret not being there to help ease Abigail's suffering, the birth was most difficult and unattended by the fae but such things could not be helped...Earth has become the realm of man and interference from the fairy-folk would not have been welcomed." She paused for a moment as if removing herself from painful past memories. "Tell me Charles Xavier... have you guessed who I am? And more importantly what Rahne Sinclair is?" The woman said before disappearing before his eyes, leaving the telepath sitting on a blanket alone under a large tree.  
  
"Don worry sir... ya figure it out sooner or later." Rahne's voice startled the Professor, causing him to look up sharply to see that the human and wolf had returned to the shade of the tree. The young girl and wolf settled down in front of him the two staring intently at him for a long moment, "we - me sister here and I," she began indicating the wolf with a nod of her head, "know ya here fer our other self... the one that is a mix of us. We do want ta help ya... only we don know what ta tell ya." The child went on her brow furrowing in thought as she carefully thought over her words, "we arena used ta outsiders here... this is our mindscape after all... where we are supreme... or we should be. But something out there... in the 'real world' I guess ya call it - is offsetting things... trying ta unbalance us as it were."  
  
"Do you have any idea why?" The Professor asked noting the thought patterns of both beings before him; one with a completely human mind, the other with a wolf mind primal in nature yet highly intelligent all the same.  
  
"None," the human said after a sharing a look with her 'sister'. The two astral projections of Rahne's key personas were just as willing to find out what was happening so they could be merged back into the one being they were suppose to be. "We only know that one day something tore us apart... this isna natural fer us, we arena meant to be separated in such a fashion. Its beginning ta take its toll... we kenna go on like this sir. Our 'instincts' are trying ta compensate fer the loss of our 'oneness' as it were...without much success. We kenna keep holding this mindscape tagether if the balance isna restored soon."  
  
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Elsewhere -  
  
"Master... the telepath knows of our efforts to destroy the changeling," a hooded-robed figure reported kneeling in reverence before a stone alter, "even now he walks her mindscape, aiding her split personas in becoming whole once more." The servant remained in his position of submission, head bowed and low to the ground, unworthy of being in the presence of his ancient master. "Further there are whispers that the Mother herself has taken an interest in the changeling's plight. Some among the Lesser Masters are concerned that the Tuatha Dé Danann has grown weary of their exile to Avalon and plot their return to the mortal realm. Their minions in the city are growing impatient... they want action taken against the changeling and the witch before they can bond." A loud rumble filled the room, causing the robed figure to cringe in fear; "these are the words of inferior dark masters... ones that have grown weak over the centuries preferring to live among humans. They do not speak for your true followers my Lord... nor will they ever, your chosen ones are still loyal to you and eagerly await your command in all things." The robed figure spoke in a meek submissive voice, carefully choosing his words, knowing his Master had little patience for those who have forgotten their place. One final rumble filled the room causing a slow evil smile to begin to tug at the corner of the robed figure's mouth, "I hear and obey Master, the changeling and witch must not be allowed to bond... their blood will quench your thirst for revenge... on this I vow."   
  
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The Brotherhood House -   
  
Agatha Harkness looked up from her meditation with a frown, feeling the after affects of something bouncing off one of her wards. 'Hmmm,' she thought, her brows furrowing a bit 'so that is how they want to play this? Very well... you want confrontation... you will have confrontation and may the gods have mercy on your souls... for I shall not.' She thought darkly, her grime expression disappearing as the front door opened and Wanda and Pietro entered the room still a bit damp from the mishap at the mall with the fire suppression system.   
  
End Part 4.  
  
Side Note: In Irish-Celtic mythology, the Tuatha Dé Danann ("People of the goddess Danu") are the Irish race of gods, founded by the goddess Danu. 


End file.
